Construction Administration (CA) Service – Contract Tip of the Week

Q: If I agree to provide Construction Administration (CA) Services, am I agreeing to oversee construction?

A:  Most design professionals aren’t qualified to oversee construction. They therefore typically provide Construction Contract Administration services, which do not include overseeing construction. Your responsibility as a design professional providing Construction Contract Administration is commonly understood and agreed to mean that you will become generally familiar with the progress and quality of the work completed and will determine, in general, if the work is being performed in a manner that when completed will be in accordance with the contract documents. Other terms, such as Construction Phase Services, may also be appropriate to use, but in any event, take care not to imply that you have more control over the construction than you actually do.

The Risk Specialty Group and RLI Design Professionals are pleased to feature our Contract Tip of the Week series. Each week, we’ll review a question submitted by a design firm relating to the subject of contracts. Keep in mind, though, that these discussions are general in nature and in making specific business decisions, it’s important to review your options with a knowledgeable attorney.